Cold Comfort
by Skylark Starflower
Summary: Jay didn't expect to have company in the brig, least of all one of Nadakhan's crew. (Rated for a bit of language, mostly. Also, season 6 spoilers ahoy.)


Author's Note/Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago, blah, blah, blah.

… (Throws this at the fandom and runs away screaming.)

" **Cold Comfort"  
By Skylark Starflower  
Started January 23, 2016  
Finished January 26, 2016**

"Get in there!"

Jay didn't move, staying curled up facing his corner of the brig, but he was listening. Someone thumped onto the floor with a grunt. There was some shuffling before an unmistakable voice spoke up.

"What? No buh-buh-blanket this time?"

Jay rolled over, opening his one good eye in time to see someone drop a heavy wool blanket on Clancee's head. He snickered, perhaps a little more nastily than he'd meant to, closed his eye once more and rolled back, done observing. Continuing to listen, he could hear Clancee extricate himself from the wool trap. He assumed the rustling that followed afterwards was Clancee getting comfortable, wrapped in his blanket. Jay shivered. He didn't get a blanket. He supposed that was because he wasn't part of Nadakhan's crew.

He didn't really feel like talking, content to lay in silence even with the company. For once, he didn't really have anything to say. Unfortunately for him, Clancee did.

"Oh, hey th-there," the snake said brightly.

Jay grunted, but said nothing.

"Don't feel like t-talking, eh?" Clancee replied.

Jay let out a frustrated sigh. "Not really."

"Oh, well. You c-can listen to me talk, then," Clancee said cheerfully.

Jay rolled his eye. "I'd rather not."

Clancee didn't listen. "You're probably wondering why I'm d-down here. It's not really a big thing, happens a-all the time! The Cap'n didn't like it when I accidentally knocked over his p-pitcher of Fiddlehead Cider. So I spend a night in the brig as punishment. I m-mean, could be worse, right?"

Jay didn't want to listen, didn't want to care about anyone on Nadakhan's crew. Surprisingly, it wasn't easy. The conversation he'd had earlier with Clancee made him feel just a little bad for the pirates and the way the Djinn had screwed up all their wishes. Still, it was their own foolishness that gotten them into their personal messes. He knew what it was like, but at least he'd smartened up and stopped wishing before he managed to completely screw himself over.

Clancee, on the other hand, seemed almost too innocent to be a pirate. He'd admitted to never making a wish because he already had everything he wanted. He was happy because he felt like he fit in with the pirates better than he ever had with the Serpentine. He was actually rather sweet in his own way, and despite himself, Jay couldn't help feeling a little fond of him.

Jay let out a sigh, his previously grumpy mood washing away to be replaced by straight up depression. He felt like he needed to save Clancee somehow, but he knew the snake probably wouldn't appreciate the effort. Clancee liked being here. Uprooting him wouldn't be doing him any favours. If Jay could convince the crew to mutiny, he might have a chance, but even still…

"Hey, you're s-shivering," Clancee said suddenly.

Jay had been too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice how cold it had become. It had been a cool day to begin with, getting cooler as the sun set. Being up so high in the sky didn't help much, either. His teeth were chattering; how had he missed that?

Without warning, he felt something drop on top of him. His eye went wide with surprise as he felt Clancee tuck his blanket around him before retreating back to his own corner of the cell.

The two were silent for several moments, Jay too shocked to know how to react. Eventually, he sat up and fixed his one good eye on Clancee.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Doing what?" Clancee replied. Jay couldn't help noting that the serpentine had his arms folded across his chest in an effort to keep warm now that he'd given up his blanket.

"Being nice to me. I'm your prisoner; you're supposed to treat me like crap!"

Clancee seemed taken aback by the idea. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Because you're a pirate and pirates are supposed to be evil!" Jay's outburst vented a lot of his pent up frustration at his situation, but also at his inability to pin down just where he stood with Clancee. He would have regretted it if he hadn't been so upset. He knew it wasn't the snake that deserved to be lashed out at.

As it was, the little serpent took his eruption in stride. "Aw, we ain't t-that evil. I mean, yeah, the Cap'n's been c-capturing your friends in his sword so he can rebuild Djinjago, but they were the ones who destroyed it in the f-first place, so really, who're the evil ones in that s-situation?"

Jay wanted to defend Nya's actions, but for some reason, he couldn't find the words. They hadn't known at the time about the way the realms were connected. As such, they couldn't be blamed for the situation, right? Maybe you could argue that seeking revenge for an accident wasn't completely evil, but it still wasn't very nice.

Tired of talking, he was about to turn around again when he noticed Clancee visibly sag against the wall. Of course. Being serpentine, he was cold blooded. Without a source of warmth, he could die. That was why he got a blanket.

With a sigh, Jay stood and, dragging his ball and chain along, carried the blanket back to Clancee. The snake feebly tried to fight him off.

"No, no, you k-keep it. I gave it to you," he said, his words slow and slurring slightly.

"Alright, fine. If that's how you want it…" Jay said. He plunked himself down next to Clancee and wrapped the blanket around the both of them.

Clancee looked like he wanted to protest, but he never got the words out as the warmth washed over him. The blanket was nice, but the heat coming off of Jay was even better. Without really thinking about it, he snuggled into Jay's side. Jay nearly shrieked. The snake felt like an ice cube. He would have pushed him off, but it was clear Clancee needed this, so he endured it.

Jay glanced down at Clancee, and couldn't help smiling despite his mood. He liked the snake. He couldn't help it. Clancee had gone out of his way to be kind to Jay several times, so he supposed it was only fair to return the favour now. He wrapped an arm around the little snake, pulling him closer. Clancee mumbled something Jay couldn't understand that ended in a happy sigh. A moment later, the serpentine was snoring softly. He'd fallen asleep.

Jay realised then just how tired he was, himself. He felt his head droop as his eye slid closed…

X X X

The sound of birdsong slowly brought Jay back to wakefulness. He blinked his eye slowly in the light, still a little muddled from his sleep. His head was resting on something which in turn was snuggled into his chest. Looking down, he was startled to see Clancee. Then the events of the previous night returned to him, and he found himself smiling. Clancee was cute when he was sleeping. Plus, the snake didn't feel cold to the touch anymore, so sharing the blanket had actually done him some good.

Jay was content to stay as he was for as long as Clancee remained sleeping, but a sudden banging on the brig's cage door woke him and startled Jay. Dogshank was standing above, peering down.

"Time to come out, Clancee," she grunted.

Clancee took a moment to blink the sleep out of his eyes. It didn't take him long to remember what was going on. He sat up hurriedly, his face turning red. Still, Jay could see the hint of a shy smile cross the snake's face.

"G-good morning," Clancee said, not meeting Jay's eye.

"Morning," replied Jay. He didn't want Clancee to get into trouble for taking too long to get up, so he unravelled himself from the blanket and stood. Offering his hand to Clancee, he helped the snake up as well.

"Well… I guess I'll s-see you later," Clancee said. Turning to Dogshank, he took her proffered hand and she lifted him bodily from the brig with ease.

Jay stared up at the two. "So, do I get to come out and swab the deck again now, or what?"

Dogshank gazed down at him with distaste. "You'll come out when the Cap'n says you come out."

"Just figured I'd ask," Jay replied with a brightness he really didn't feel. Clancee smiled down at him and waved before he and Dogshank turned to go. Once they were gone, Jay returned to the blanket. Lifting it from the floor, he wrapped it about his shoulders and huddled into his corner once again.

The End


End file.
